Connecting device for electrical conductors.



L. STElNBERGER.

CONNECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL CONDU-CTORS. APPLICATION men MAY I7.1912. RENEWED NOV. 1.1916.

Patented Nov. 28,1916.

INVENTOR.

S E 8 S E N H W UNITED earns LOUIS STEINBERGER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Application-filed May 17. 1912, Serial No. 698,008.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS STEINBERGER,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and'useful Improvements in Connecting Devices forElectrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a noveleonstruction of binding posts, saidposts being particularly adapted for use in the manufacture ofdistributer blocks such as are commonly employed in connection withmagnetos for gas engine operation. These blocks are formed of a suitablematerial such as electrose or hard rubber, and the binding posts areadapted to be molded almost wholly within their bodies.

I seek, among other things, to provide a binding post which is compactand extremely simple in construction, which may be manufactured at lowcost and which is capable of withstanding a considerable degree ofmaltreatment, andwhichwill form a positive connection between itselfandthe conductor terminal. which may be connected to it, and which willpermit of the terminal being connected to it by an extremely simpleoperation, and which will hold the terminal against accidentaldisplacement.

Among the objects to be accomplished by the aid of .my invention are thefollowing-:

I. To provide a'binding post which may be embedded in the material ofthe dis tributer block so as to have a very small portion of itselfprojecting above the surface of the block, so that portions of theinsulating material comprising the blockmay be formed into barriers ofsmall size and yet of sufiicient size to entirely exclude thepossibility of passage of current from one post to another.

II. To provide the exterior of the bind ing post within the material ofthe block, 3 with a suitably roughened corrugated surface adapted tomore firmlygrip and be held within the molded material.

' III. To provide a tubular member adapted to lJL molded within theinsulating mav terial of the block, and having a metallic conductorleading from preferably the bottom wall thereof to one of'the contactmembers of the diitributer block. l

IV. To provide within the tubular memher referred to, adetachabl'emechanism comprising a clamp attachedto receive andSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 11916. Renewed November 1, 1916. Serial No. 128,939.

hold a conductor terminal above the outer end f the tubulanmember. V. Toprovide a closure for the upper end of the tubnlarmember referred to,said closure having a substantially central aperture extendinglongitudinally of the tubular member,'adapted to slidably receive a stemhaving a head formed upon its upper end and having means engaging itslower end within said tubular member "for yieldingly malntaining itshead in contact with said closure to form a spring clamp between saidhead and closure. I

VI. To provide the head of the stem referred to with a semi-sphericalconvexed under surface, and to provide a conductor terminal with asemi-spherical depression adapted to be engaged and detachably retainedby the semi-spherical portion of said head.

VII. To provide the head above mentioned with a semi-spherical convexedunder Isurface-and to provide the closure above mentioned, with asemi-spherical convexed upper surface and to provide a conductorterminal comprising a slotted plate having a semi-spherical'depressionformed in one of its surfaces,'thestructure being such that saidconductor terminal may be reversed at will for disposing the depressedportion thereof in engagement with either of the conveXed portions ofthe clamp.

VIII. Further, to provide, in combination with the tubular member abovereferred to, a closure for one of its ends and a clamp memberengagingsaid closure, said clamp member having a stem extendingthrough saidclosure, a compression spring surrounding said stem, having its upperend en-' gaging the under surface of said closure, and a head adjustablyretained on the lower end of said stem engaging the lower end of saidspring whereby the clamping power of said clamp may be adjusted atwill.IX To provide a binding post'comprising a clamp adapted to receive anddetachably retain the conductor terminal, said clamp comprising aspring, means for adjusting the tension ofsaid spring for determiningthe clamping power of said clamp. and said adjusting means beingdisposed within a casing whereby the same may not be tampered with byunauthorized hands. X'. To provide a binding post pa'rticula'rly adaptedfor-being molded-within the material of a distributer block, said postbeing of such a' construction as to be adaptable to being positionedeither upon the flat face of the block or upon the edge surfacesthereof, and to have so little of itself in evidence as to permit of theuse of a'considerable number of posts being molded within a single blockof ordinary siZe without overburdening or complicating the appearance ofthe structure, and to permit of the posts being disposed in relativelyclose proximity to the respective contact points to which they areelectrically connected.

XI. To provide a binding post comprising description of the elements,combinatime, arrangements of parts,-and applications of principlesconstituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplatedtherefor will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of thisspecification, and in which I have illustrated a merely preferred formof embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is an elevational view of adistributer block in connection with which this invention isparticularly adapted to be employed, and illustrating the severalbinding posts, formed in accordance with the provisions of thisinvention, fitted thereinto,

shownpartly by dotted lines, some of said ,parts being shown in topplan, a part of said view being shown in a vertical section for betterdisclosing the relative position of one of the binding posts within thebody of the insulating material of which the distributer block ismolded; Fig. 2 is a view taken from the opposite side of the dis-.

tributer block; Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view throughthe distributer block; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the severalparts, of which one of the binding posts is composed, said parts beingshown disassembled and alined to better illustrate the method ofassembling the structure; Fig. 5 is a detail view of a conductorterminal such as is used in connection with the binding post structureillustrated; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the plane of line 6-6 ofFig. 5.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates the body portion ofthe distributer block, which it will be understood,

portion of the binding post.

comprises a fictile material, such is 618C- trose, porcelain, or thelike, and'which' is molded into form, and provided with suitablereinforced apertures 2, whereby the block may be attachedto. a magneto,in a convenient position for cooperation with the moving armaturethereof, such position being the same'as is common in the constructionof devices of this character.

The distributer block is formed with a circular recess 3 in its rearface within which a rotating brush (not shown) is received and rotatablymounted in a-reinforced bearing 4% molded within the body portion of thedistributer block centrally of the circular depression 3. Arranged atevenly spaced points about the bearing 4 and within the depression 3 area plurality of pockets 5 adapted to receive contact members (not shown)for successive engagement by the rotating brush, all of which is wellknown.

in the art.

Each of the pockets 5 is electricallyconnected with a binding post 6 bya metallic conductor 7 embedded entirely within the body portion of thedistributer block and being wound 01' otherwise electrically connectedto the respective pockets by one of its ends, and having its other endelectrically connected with the respective binding post.

Each of the binding posts, of which I have shown six, one for each ofthe contact points in the distributer block, is identical in shape,construction, in its manner of attachment to the insulator block and inthe method by which the metallic conductors 7 are connected thereto, andeach of said binding posts comprise a tubular member 8 hav ing itsentire bulk embedded within the body portion of the distributer'block,so that its upper end lies flush with the surface of the material of theblock,

as at 9, whereby the same is more firmly held by the fictile materialwith which it comes into engagement. The inner end of the member 8 isclosed by a wall 10 and the respective conductor 7 is attached to saidwall, preferably by being extended through a suitable aperture 11 formedtherein, soldered or otherwise positively electrically connected to saidwall, and thus to the body The upper end of the member-8 is internallythreaded and fitted with a closure 12 having external threads engagingthe threads of said member 8, and being thereby easily attached orremoved at will. The closure 12 is formed with an enlarged head portion13 providing a shoulder 14 adapted to engage the upper annular surfaceof the member 8, and the upper surface of said head 13 is rounded intosemi-spherical shape as at 15. Extending substantially centrally throughthe closure '12 longitudinally of the member 8 The exterior surface ofthe member 8 is preferably roughened,

' neocaae is an aperture 16 adapted to receive a stem 17 which is formedat its upper end with a head 18. Within the tubular member 8, below theclosure '12, a compression spring 19 encircles the lower portion of thestem- 17 and is adapted to be compressed between the under surface of.the closure 12 and the upper surface of a nut or head 20, Which isthreaded and thus adjustably held at the lower end of the stem 17.:bviously, rotation of the nut 20 about the stem 17 Will compress, orpermit extension of, the spring 19, and thus effect, an adjustment ofthe degree of tween the the upper closure 12.

It will be noted adjustment of the y the spring 19, it will be necessaryto grasp both the head 18 and the head or nut 20, and that to do this isimpossible so long as the head 20 is in position within the member 8.That is to say, that it would require that the closure 12 be designedlyremoved under surface of the head 18 and surface of the head 13 of thethat in order to effect an fromits engagement with the member 8 beforeany change could-be effected in the compression value of the spring.Th1s po1nt1s valuable in that it obviates all likelihood of accidentalrelief of the stress in the spring and a consequent accidentaldetachment of binding post.

The under. surface the conductor terminal which engagesthe ner as is theuppersurface 15 of the closure 12, and said opposing convexed surfaces,being drawn steadily together under compression of the spring 19 form aclamp pecul iarly adapted for retaining a conductor terminal'particularly formed to 'receive said convexed surfaces. As illustratedin Figs; 1, 5 and 6, the conductor terminal adapted for engagement withthe binding post described, comprises a substantially flat plate 21having its one end electrically connected at 22 to the conductor 23, ina'well vknown manner, and having its opposite end enlarged and formedwith a slot 24,- providing the legs 25 adapted to straddle the stem 17when theterminal is being forced to position between the clampingsurfaces of the binding post. The inner end of the slot 24 is preferablysemi-circular in form and a semi-spherical depression 26 is formed inthe surface of said plate concentrically of the center of thesemi-circular portion of said slot, and said semispherical depression isadapted to be engaged by the correspondingly semi-spherical convexedportion of either the head 13 or the under surface of the head 18, saidconductor thus reversible to dispose the depressed portion 26 inengagement with either of said convexed portions.

the opposing faces of pressure in the clamp formed lee-- degree ofpressure exerted 'move with a cam or wedge-like of the head, 18 is;rounded semi-spherically in the 'same manterminal being unquestionedgeneral The conductor terminal is preferably of cal depression 26therein is formed by pressing the material in a die so that the surfaceof-said'terminal opposite the semi-spherical depression isselni-spherically convexed sub: stantially' concentrically with thesemispherical depression. Thus it is apparent that upon introducingthetermihal between the clamp, it will not be necessary for the operatorto exercise especial care in-forcing the terminal to a positivelydefined final position, All that is required is for the terminal to beintroduced just sufiiciently far. for the semi spheridally convexedsurface of either 'of the opposing members of the clamp to engage aportion of the semi-spherically shaped depression in the terminalwhereupon the yielding pressure of vthe clamp will induce the terminalto action into the clamp. heretofore "limping may be a substantiallyperfect set with I am aware that' it has been suggested in'the art toprovide members between which aterminal engaged in somewhat the samemanner as I have disclosed, but within my knowledge such constructionshaving necessarily re-.

quired the movement of the terniinal into. a single fixed positionrelatively to the clamping members ere the connection between the clampandthe terminal could be considered as being of its maximum efliciencyeither electrically or mechanically. By arranging the clamping surfacesof my binding post of hemi-spherical convexed shape, and providing thesemi-spherical depression in one surface of my conductor terminal, Ihave simplified the construction and have entirely for carefuladjustment.

avoided the necessity The parts cooperate-in such manner as toautomatically effect, a substantially perfect setting of the conductorterminal between the clamp faces. v I The closure 12 with the stem andhead'17 and 18 respectively, and the spring 19 and head 20 are readilyremoved, as an from connection with the tubular member 8 by the simplerotation of the closure 12 to disengage the same from .the threads ofthe member 8, but while in place, said closure becomes in effect, a thatis to say, it, said member and the same manner portion. thereof.

Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the binding postdescribed, though of unquestionedeffectiveness in its retention of aconductor terminal'and the consequent thorough electrical eonnectionbetween the post and the terminal, and of performs its functions in asif 1t were an integral designed that it projects only a very slightentirety,

part of the member 8, assumes a fixed relation to practicability, is soin which it is embedded; and that the conductor terminals, and theirmethod of application, are so simple that a post, even with a terminalattached, is so small and neat as to admit of the use of any reason.-able number on a single block without complication and withoutinterfering with the positioning of the posts in close proximity to thecontact points with which they are individually connected. I

In a distributer block such as that described, some of the binding postsare arranged along the upper surface thereof at spaced points, and saidupper surface is formed with suit-able barriers 27, which are designedto positively prevent the arcing or shown in the accompanying drawingshall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is in-' tended to cover all of the generic and specific featuresof the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention, which as a matter of lan guage, might be said to falltherebetween.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. 'In a device of the class described, the combination with a tubularmetallic casing open at one end adapted to be fixed within a body'ofinsulating material or the like so Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing Washington.D 6.

that its 'open end opefis through the sur face of said body ofinsulating material, of

a closure for said open end having an aper-' ture therethrough, a rodextending through said aperture beyond the inner end of said closureintothe open space within said casing, said rod being slidable through saidaperture and having a head at its outer end, spring means disposedwithin the easing engaging between the inner end of said rod and theinner end surface of said closure to urge said head'toward the outersurface of said closure so as to comprise a clamp for attachingaconductor terminal between said liead'and the outer surface of said.closure, and means whereby said closure with said rod and the partscarried thereby forming the terminal retaining blamp is detachablyconnected to said casing so that the terminal retaining clamp may bedetached as an entity from said. casing at will.

The combination with a sheet metal conductor terminal pressed "to form asemispherical depression in one surface thereof and a substantiallyconcentrically. disposed semi-spherically convexed portion at theopposite surface thereof, of a binding. post comprising a clamp, one ofthe clamping faces of which is semi-spherically convexed to engagewithin the semi-spherical depression in the conductor terminal wherebyto urge the conductor terminal toward a given central position betweenthe surfaces of the clamp, and the semi-spherical convexed oppositesurface of the terminal by presenting a continuously concentric roundingsurface to the other clamping face of the clamp serving to facilitateand assist the sliding movement of the terminal into said given centralrelation with the binding post.

In testimony whereof I aitix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

Louis s rmmuntenn.

\Vitnesses:

L. (irESSFORD Hanoi, NATIIALIE TnoMrsoN.

the Commissioner of Patents,

